Worried by the dangers facing factory workers in Anambra State due to lack of personal protective gadgets in the course of production, the state House of Assembly is set to enact a law to ensurethe safety, health and welfareof factory workers as well as all persons in the production line.
This was the crux of the matter on Wednesday as the lawmaker representing Ihiala 2 State Constituency, Hon. Paschal Agbodike, presented the Anambra State Factory Workers Safety Bill 2016 on the floor of the house.
Shedding more light on the bill, Agbodike said the bill is life-saving and health-friendly. According to him, the bill seeks to protect the lives of factory workers in the state.
Agbodike explained that in Anambra there are lots of factories and companies, which use machines and other sophisticated equipment for production purposes.
The lawmaker said the primary concern is the safety and protection of all those operating the machines in the factories, which he noted necessitated the making of the bill. He expressed concern that most of the factories and companies in the state do not provide personal protective equipment for the workers for use during emergency.
Agbodike therefore noted that the bill is a clarion call on all factory owners to consider the lives of their workers and not sacrifice them on the altar of profitmaking without recourse to the health and safety of their workers. He added that most physically-challenged persons are victims of factory accidents while operating machines without safety gadgets.
Member representing Orumba-North State Constituency, Hon. Romanus Ugochukwu Obi, lamented also that Nigerians do not place much premium on safety, noting that factory workers in the country expose themselves to danger in the line of duty.
Obi, who recalled a situation where some factory workers were electrocuted in a factory in Anambra, however implored all and sundry to embrace the bill as well as ensure its passage into law.
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